Broken Hearts and Shattered Breaths
by smylealong
Summary: Thirteen years after the war, Sokka breaks into Zuko's courtroom with a plea to help Katara who faces certain death. Zuko abandons everything to rush to his friend's aid, but once there, he realizes that for Katara to live, he has to make a big sacrifice - one he is not ready for. Post War Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a story that came to me a while ago. It takes a different look at a plot point that has been used quite a bit in the Zutara fics. A point to note, this story takes place thirteen years after the war. A lot of things have changed, some people have died and some have retired. All in all, this is a different world. A note of warning though, Aang wouldn't be cast in a very favorable light here. So if you're an Aang fan, apologies._

 _Special thanks to my sister, Mammai, for beta reading and helping me make this better._

* * *

 **Broken Hearts and Shattered Breaths**

Several loud voices in the hallway distracted Zuko from the report Councilman Sho was giving. He turned his head a little and instantly, his bodyguard Mizu was next to him. "Go check what's the commotion outside."

The man bowed and left, silent as a shadow. Moments later, the doors to the courtroom was thrown open with a loud bang. Several things happened at the same time. Twelve imperial Firebenders flanked Zuko from both sides. The Fire Lord himself stood up and instinctively took up a battle stance. His Generals, Admirals and remaining courtiers had all either lit a flame on their palms or drawn their weapons. The intruder was surrounded before he could take three steps into the courtroom.

However, upon seeing the struggling man amid the guards, Zuko dropped his firebending stance and stood straight. "Guards, let him approach."

The harried man shook off the guards and began to take long, purposeful strides towards the throne. Zuko lowered the raging inferno in front of him and descended the steps to meet his friend. "Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, this is an unexpected visit."

The formal address jolted Sokka out of whatever trance he was in and for the first time he took in his surroundings. His eyes widened slightly upon realizing how close he had come to being burned on spot, but then his dark face set into a grim line.

"Fire Lord Zuko," he said in a way as though every word he said pained him. "We need to talk. In private."

Seeing the normally jovial and affable warrior so serious and angry, Zuko knew this was serious. He gave his friend a nod and turned to address the court. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm afraid we will have to take a break from the proceedings. This is a personal matter. You will all be informed as to when the court will resume."

Without waiting to hear the inevitable complains of his courtiers, Zuko spun on his heels and marched out, motioning Sokka and Iroh to follow him. The trio walked in tense silence to Zuko's chambers, followed at a respectable distance by the imperial guards. Once inside the privacy of his chambers, Zuko turned to look at Sokka.

"What's wrong, Sokka?"

It was as though the words broke a dam in the twenty-nine year old warrior for he crumpled to the floor, sobbing. Zuko shared an alarmed look with his Uncle and crouched next to his friend, now seriously worried. "Sokka, hey, what's wrong? Sokka… look at me. What's going on?"

"Help me, Zuko," Sokka said, his voice trembling. "Help me. Katara is going to die."

It was as though an Earthbender had slammed a rock into his gut. Zuko felt the air leave his lungs in a whoosh. Iroh's gasp of horror sounded like it came from afar.

"What do you mean?" Iroh asked urgently. "What happened? Last I heard, Master Katara was perfectly healthy."

Sokka rubbed tears and snot on his sleeve. Absently, Zuko thought that the warrior looked bizarre crying like that. He also noticed that a clump of hair had come undone from Sokka's wolf tail. Part of him wondered why he was focusing on the mundane when his friend's life was in danger but he couldn't inspect his reaction further for Sokka's next words chilled him to the bone.

"It's not her health. Katara is to face a trial. She's been charged with adultery."

"What rubbish?" Zuko roared, sparks flying out of his mouth. "That's preposterous!"

"It gets worse," Sokka whispered, his head lowered.

Zuko shot up to his feet and began pacing, his hands trembling with rage. _How could they accuse her of something so… so immoral? So dishonorable?_ "How can it possibly get worse?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Sokka looked up at him and with a sinking feeling in his stomach, Zuko knew. Sokka's words only confirmed his worst suspicion. "They think she had an extra-marital affair with you."

Zuko stood staring at his friend on the floor, his brain refusing to comprehend what he was hearing. He felt like he was falling from a cliff, with nothing to break his fall. It was only when Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder that the buzzing in his mind cleared. He looked from Sokka to his Uncle and back to Sokka. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Finally, his voice caught up with the rest of him. And with it, came desperation.

"That's… that's insane. Sokka, Uncle, you have to believe me, this is... ridiculous. There's n-nothing going on between us, nothing. There was never anything. This is all just… this is… No. I would… we would never do something like this. I haven't even spoken to Katara since… since Aang died. I… I wrote to her maybe twice since then and she didn't even respond. I… we… this is… Agni!" He ran his hand through his hair, trying to rein in his incoherent mess of thoughts.

Iroh, however, seemed to have composed himself. His brows were knit into a tight frown as he appeared to be thinking something deeply. "What about the crystal catacombs in Ba Sing Se?"

Zuko spun to face his Uncle, his face scrunched in confusion. "What about them?"

"What happened there while you were with Master Katara?" Iroh pressed.

"Nothing!" Zuko threw his arms in the air. "And that was over a decade ago. I can't believe that you're bringing all of that up now."

"Zuko," Sokka's broken, low voice caught his attention. "I know. I know you wouldn't do something like that. I'm sure of it. And that's why I have come to you. Her trial is on the full moon. And if she's found guilty, she'll be killed. Help me, Zuko. You're the only one who can."

Even in the frozen tundra of the poles, Zuko had never felt his fingers go as cold as they were at that moment. His hands trembled as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. His breath came out in short bursts, and his heart thudded so loudly in his chest, he felt that everyone in the palace could hear it.

"Zuko," Sokka called tentatively. "You will come with me, right?"

Zuko looked at Sokka. It took an enormous amount of effort for him to pull out his words. "Of course."

He shook his head, trying to think what his next course of action should be. The monarch in him took over, and he reacted purely on instinct, his voice measured and clipped. "Uncle, I need you to take over the duties of the Fire Lord for the duration I am away. Sokka, I would need an hour, at the most, to gather my belongings and get ready for the journey. Meanwhile, please do have something to eat."

Clapping his hands, he summoned his chief bodyguard. "Mizu, I'm leaving for the Northern Water Tribe urgently. I need a warplane fueled and ready. And my retinue as well, in less than an hour."

The man bowed crisply and walked out. With that done, the monarch slipped away and Zuko took over yet again. At that moment, he felt much older than his thirty years. "Uncle, I don't have time to meet Izumi…"

"Don't worry, Zuko," Iroh said. "I will take care of her. You go. Save Master Katara."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thank you so much for the encouraging response. Has anyone guessed yet what is the trope that I'm going to put a spin on in this story? Do drop in a line or two if you have any ideas, no matter how whacky. You'll know the answer soon anyway._

 _As usual, R &R._

* * *

Zuko stood ramrod straight, his arms locked behind his back and a muscle twitching in his jaw. Beside him, Sokka lay on his bed, curled in a fetal position. Even as he slept, worry marred his features as he twitched intermittently. Every now and then he would mumble something about Katara and his face would crumple further but through all of that, he continued to sleep.

The silence of the cabin was interrupted by the dull thrum of the engines as the warplane flew towards the North Pole. Full Moon was four days away and if all stayed to plan, he would reach North Pole on the morning of the trial.

In the relative solitude, Zuko tried to think back to his interactions with Katara, wondering what could have started the nasty chain of events that led to the current situation.

He had married Mai four years after his coronation. He had been unable to attend Katara and Aang's wedding a year later because Mai was about to give birth to Izumi. The next year had been the happiest one in Zuko's life, till the dart of an assassin killed the love of his life.

Zuko had been inconsolable and it had been Katara, with her stubborn refusal to leave him alone, who had broken through his miasma of gloom. Shortly afterwards, Katara gave birth to Bumi.

Meanwhile Zuko had been absorbed with his work and rearing a motherless child. For the next couple of years, his communications with Katara had been solely through letters and even they were sporadic.

Three years after Bumi's birth, Sokka informed Zuko that Katara was expecting a second child. Upon the birth of Kya, Zuko had made it a point to visit his friends and congratulate them personally. Aang had been a little cold in the reception but Katara had been who she was. Feeling as though he had intruded upon a rather private moment, Zuko had left sooner than he had intended to.

Three years after that, he got the devastating news of Aang's death. The Avatar had been out on a mission and had been, inexplicably, drunk. He never saw the boulder coming for his head. From what Zuko had heard, Aang had died before his body had even hit the ground.

Zuko had abandoned everything and rushed to Katara's side. She had been in shock and hadn't cried for days. It was only when everyone was gone, save for their closest friends, that Katara had broken down into frenzied tears.

That had been a year ago. And now, she was imprisoned, having a staring match with death. But he wouldn't... couldn't let her die. No friend of his was going to die accused of false charges.

* * *

"I wish Pakku was here. He could've done something, right?" Sokka asked as the two friends sat having an uneasy dinner. It was a testament to how worried he was that even the meat on his plate didn't excite him.

Zuko sighed, dumping his chopsticks on the bowl. "Even if he were alive, I doubt he could've done much. As both her step-grandfather and her teacher, he wouldn't have been able to sit on the Tribunal. Conflict of interest. No Tribunal would have allowed it. What about your dad? As the former chief, he should have some power, right?"

Sokka shook his head. "Dad's powerless in North Pole. He still has some clout in the South, but North, none. The moment he retired, he lost all the powers he had. And since I took up the mantle of Kyoshi's leadership, I forfeited all the rights to Water Tribe's leadership. Besides, with a Northern Waterbender sitting at the chief's position in the South now, South is almost a colony for the North."

"Tell me everything. How did this happen? How could things get so bad?"

Sokka rubbed his hands on his face, scratching his stubble. "After Aang's death, Katara sort of withdrew from everyone. She never wrote back, didn't talk to anyone. It was as if she was lost. She kept moving from air temples to air temples, as if she was trying to look for something. Toph was the one who found her, really. You know how Toph is. She bluntly told her that while Katara moped around, her kids were suffering. She needed to pull her act together and give them the stability they needed. Something she said must have appealed to her, because soon after that, Katara decided to go to North Pole and start a bending school for girls."

"Why not the South?" Zuko wondered.

Sokka shrugged. "I think she wanted to stay away from us. From her family. I don't really know, but I got the feeling that she's running away from something. In any case, Katara chose the North. She was fine till she went there to stay. But then, one fine day, we got a frantic letter from a friend in North, Tanni, that she has been arrested."

Sokka rubbed his red, blood-shot eyes with the heels of his palms before continuing. "At first I thought it was just some stupid misunderstanding and I took the fastest boat to the North. Luckily, I was close by and I reached there quickly. It was there that I learned that she's been charged with adultery… with you. I couldn't believe it, I still can't. I swear, I ran from pillar to post, but they wouldn't let me see her."

After a pause, he continued. "I was told that if she was found guilty, she would be exiled. And I was fine with that. I was willing to take her and the kids to Kyoshi with me and it would all have worked out. But then, ten days ago, I overheard two guys laughing about how the 'bitch would know her place now' and 'how she'd had it coming'. Something told me that they were talking about Katara. I quietly followed them and that's when I learned that in the North, adultery for women is punishable by death. I couldn't think. All I knew that I had to save her, somehow. And then I thought of you. I mean, with Aang gone, you're the most powerful man in the world right now. And… I thought you could help."

Zuko nodded, cold dread creeping into his heart. "What about Bumi and Kya? Where are they?"

"They're with Gran Gran and Dad right now, in the North Pole."

"They're letting the kids see her at least, I hope?"

Sokka shook his head negatively. Zuko swore a blue streak. "It's like they're on a personal vendetta here."

"They are," Sokka agreed. "Toph says this isn't about adultery or about the 'Avatar's dishonor'. This is about Katara being a woman and being the best Waterbender of her generation. They're trying to make an example out of her to dissuade other women from learning combative Waterbending."

"What nonsense!" Zuko cried, giving up the pretense of eating. "How did this ridiculous rumor even start? Whatever gave them the idea that Katara and I are involved in any way?"

Sokka's face darkened. "I don't really know. I have tried very hard to find out but I can't."

Zuko sighed, shaking his head. As the Fire Lord, he had headed and been on the bench of multiple Tribunals, both in Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. Admittedly, he had never been on a Water Tribe Tribunal, but he knew legal systems. He was fairly confident that he could appeal to the Tribunal and speak to them on Katara's behalf.

"Do you have the Water Tribe's legal scrolls with you? Where can I look up the laws?"

Sokka shrugged. "South never really had any legal scrolls. If the North has them, I have not been given access to it."

Zuko nodded, his lips set into a firm line. This was going to be an uphill task.

* * *

The Warplane landed on the North Pole's shores. As soon as the walkway was lowered, Sokka ran down to meet Suki who stood there along with Toph and Kanna. Zuko chose a slower pace, befitting his station. He had made it a point to wear his armor and his crown. He was, after all, entering a war zone of sorts. Up close, both Toph and Suki looked harried and sleep deprived. But Zuko was most stuck by Kanna's appearance. Every one of her many years were etched painfully on her face, her eyes rimmed with red. As he bowed to the old woman, the little group was joined by Hakoda.

Zuko had always thought of Hakoda as a proud, stubborn man. But now, he looked like a shadow of his former self. His cheeks were sunken and there was a defeated look in his eyes that Zuko hated.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Hakoda said in a scratchy voice that bespoke of innumerable tears. "I am honored and relieved to find you here. Your testimony will prove invaluable, I am sure."

Zuko bowed, "Sir. I will do everything in my power to save Master Katara. I will not let this injustice befall on your family."

Hakoda grasped Zuko in a bone crushing hug. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Suddenly, he felt like the awkward teenager who had rescued Hakoda from the prison. Patting his back, Zuko extricated himself from the arms of the man and addressed everyone in general. "When does the Tribunal start?"

"In about three hours," Suki answered. "When the full moon rises."

"Good. Let me see if I can wrestle out a meeting with Chief Hahn in the meantime."

"Not going to happen," Toph said. "We have been trying to meet him, but he says, and I quote, "I cannot meet anyone who will dissuade or otherwise try to influence my decision for the case. As the Chief of the tribe and the head of the Tribunal, I have to remain neutral."."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing, not for the first time, that Arnook was still the chief. He had had dealings with the former chief and the man, while annoying, was still a reasonable one. He could be spoken to. But then, seven years ago, he had passed away in his sleep. According to people, he had never really gotten over his daughter's death and grief had finally consumed him.

Hahn, who was supposed to marry Yue and take the mantle of Chief, was never really relieved of his charges. And upon the sudden and unexpected demise of Chief Arnook, Hahn took over the duties. He was half the man his predecessor had been with twice the ego. A pedantic, petty and an ethnocentric man, whom Zuko detested. Based on his past dealings with the man, he was fairly certain that Hahn wasn't going to budge and Zuko had no time to waste on a futile effort.

"Fine. Any way I can read some Water Tribe laws? Anything that would help me stand in the Tribunal?"

Hakoda offered him the first bit of good news. "I have managed to wrangle a couple of scrolls. I don't know how useful it would be, but here they are."

He pulled out two scrolls from his parka and handed them to him. Suppressing his sigh of relief, Zuko followed his friends to a room in the guest house where he could study the scrolls while Hakoda and Kanna went to take care of the kids.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: And thus begins the court case. As usual, please read and review._

* * *

Zuko was surprised to find a marble hall in the middle of North Pole. He expected it to be freezing, but when he stepped in, he was pleasantly surprised. Pneumatic pipes pumped heated steam periodically and the thick, fur carpets kept the cold from permeating in. He had a feeling that Sokka was somehow involved in this mini miracle.

The large hall had about fifty chairs, all of which were occupied. Zuko had a reserved chair for himself, along with Katara's family and friends. Kanna had declined to come, as the children weren't allowed in the Tribunal Hall. On one side was a chair that had chains hanging from its arms and legs. And on the other side was a simple, unadorned chair, for the witness. Dominating the room, however, was a large and ornate desk with five chairs – the Tribunal bench.

Zuko tried, unsuccessfully, to swallow the lump of cold dread that had lodged itself in his throat. He could scarcely hear the bailiff announce the arrival of the bench. Years of heading and sitting on Tribunals meant that he automatically rose to his feet, as was the norm. As expected, Hahn took the position of the Chief Judge, while four other men (none of whom Zuko knew) took up the remaining seats on both sides.

 _All men. Not good._

At the nod of one of them, a guard flicked his wrist. A door to the far left opened and two soldiers brought in Katara. Words fell short of describing how Zuko felt upon seeing her. Compared to Katara, her family looked like the picture of health. Her cheeks were hollow and bereft of all pallor. Lips cracked, hair matted and gait slowed, Katara looked a wreck. Even from the distance he could see the chaffing of her wrists, the protruding collar bones and the bony fingers. But the worst thing, according to Zuko, were her eyes. They were the eyes of a person who had lost.

Beside her, he heard the gasps of Sokka and Hakoda and the muffled sob of Suki.

"What?" Toph whispered. "What's going on?"

Zuko shook his head, unable to believe his eyes. _What have they done to her?_ "Just be thankful that you can't see."

Katara was led to the seat for accused and was thrust into it unceremoniously. The chains on her hands and feet were opened and the ones of the chair were put up on her again. That done, the guards stepped back. Rage, like one he hadn't felt in years, boiled within him and it took all of his training to not burn everything down and snatch his friend from this disgusting game.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe," Hahn said, making her look up. "You stand here accused of adultery. You are accused of having an extra marital affair with the Fire Lord Zuko, while you were married to Avatar Aang. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Katara stared at him, as if uncomprehending. Somehow, Zuko knew that she was not going to say anything and her silence would be devastating. So he spoke up, "If I may, I would like to represent Lady Katara."

As one, the five men looked at him. Hahn's eyes narrowed slightly before he smirked. "Well, it is unusual, but the Fire Lord himself has graced us with his presence. It would be remiss of us to not grant his request. So yes, Fire Lord Zuko, you may represent your paramou… I mean Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

Zuko's eyes narrowed a fraction at the snicker that went through audience. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and nodded. "Thank you, Chief Hahn. Lady Katara pleads not guilty."

Hahn's eyebrows shot up but he nodded. "Okay. Present your facts, Fire Lord."

Zuko cleared his throat and assumed his most official, regal voice. "Lady Katara stands here charged of adultery. She, allegedly, had an extra marital affair with me. Which is funny, because if any such dalliances occurred, I can't seem to remember them."

His sentence was met with a couple of chuckles here and there. With a small smirk, he continued, "The allegations against Lady Katara is pure conjecture and complete hearsay. These allegations are false and I will prove it to the Tribunal."

"I'm sure," one of the members of the bench spoke up. "But you know, Fire Lord, your denial alone isn't evidence enough. You see, we have witnesses who will attest to the fact that you and Lady Katara have brought dishonor upon the Water Tribe, repeatedly."

Zuko's eyebrow shot up. "Witnesses? To what? Something that didn't even happen? Your powers are impressive."

A few more snickers. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sokka nod. On her chair, however, Katara sat motionless, expressionless.

Looking annoyed, the man on the bench continued. "Without further delay and smart quips from the Fire Lord, we shall present the first witness. I call upon, Reng Fe Chui."

Zuko's brow knit in confusion as he wracked his brain trying to figure out who this person was. He looked to Sokka and Suki, both of whom shrugged. Even Toph looked confused. Moments later, a tall, heavy set man with a wide jaw and a hooked nose, that looked like it had broken a couple of times, took the chair meant for witnesses. Zuko had never seen this man before.

"Reng Fe Chui," Hahn said. "Do you recognize this man and the woman on the chair?"

The man looked from Zuko to Katara and nodded. "Indeed, Sir. I do. That man is... was the Prince of Fire Nation when I last saw him. And she was the Avatar's companion."

"And how do you know them?" another man on the bench asked.

"I imprisoned them, Sir. I was under Princess Azula's service at the time and I threw them in the Crystal Catacombs under Ba Sing Se."

"Together?" Hahn asked.

"They were thrown in one after another, but yes, they were in there together."

Hahn's smirk was evident. He leaned back on his chair, his face triumphant as he looked at Zuko. "You have any questions?"

"Several, actually," he said as he walked up to the man. "So, Reng Fe Chui, am I correct in assuming that you worked for the Dai Li?"

"Yes."

Zuko waved his hand toward the audience. "This is the Water Tribe. Several of them are unfamiliar with the proceedings of Ba Sing Se. Could you, in a few sentences, tell us exactly what the Dai Li does?"

The man's chest puffed in pride as he cleared his throat and spoke about his work. "The Dai Li is the secretive and elite police force of Ba Sing Se who work to capture, interrogate and imprison political dissidents. The organization was founded by Avatar Kyoshi with the aim of protecting the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. The Dai Li works to protect the Earth King."*

"I see," Zuko said as he pretended to consider something. "How long did you serve in the Dai Li for?"

"Eighteen Years."

Zuko smiled. "That is impressive. So, in your long, illustrious career, how many people did you capture and interrogate?"

"Somewhere between five to six hundred."

Zuko let out a low whistle. "And you remember every one of them?"

"Of course not," the man said and then winced, upon realizing the trap.

Zuko smirked. "No further questions."

Hahn looked annoyed but he wasn't put out and quickly called the next witness, Shing Shu, an Air Acolyte at the Eastern Air Temple. This witness Zuko couldn't discredit so easily because he was talking about things that the Fire Lord was hearing for the first time. The acolyte spoke about how the Avatar had once, in the presence of everyone in the temple, asked Katara about her relationship with Zuko and that the Waterbender had remained silent.

Shing Shu also spoke about how Katara had not cried after the Avatar's death, instead had clung to Zuko throughout the funeral proceedings, conveniently ignoring the fact that she had also clung to Sokka, Suki and Toph. When Zuko had, in fact pointed that bit out, the bench had disregarded it as irrelevant. All in all, the Air Acolyte had done severe damage to the case.

* * *

* _Facts about Dai Li taken from the Avatar Wiki_


	4. Chapter 4

_This story has been received better than I anticipated. I would be answering a few questions that was asked in the reviews after the chapter is done. Without further ado, let me present the chapter._

* * *

Zuko paced the little room in agitation. Things were spiraling out of control rapidly and he was helpless. The tribunal had broken for dinner but he could see that they had already reached their verdict. They were merely taking their own sweet time, relishing their victory. After Shing Shu, they had proceeded to bring in three more witnesses, all of whom testified to Katara and him being seen in compromising positions.

But the point was, each of those instances were taken out of context and twisted to something grotesque. Something so impure and unholy that it left a bitter taste in his mouth. The fact that he had sobbed into her shoulders after Mai's death had been turned into him kissing her throat.

The complete travesty that was "The Boy in the Iceberg" by Ember Island Players was upheld as fact. It was being proclaimed as the play that dared to speak the truth and that Zuko had used his power to quash it. True, Zuko had stopped the play, but he had done so simply because the play had been atrocious and complete nonsense. But Zuko knew that protesting it was futile. He had stopped the play, that was the truth and people were going to believe the worst.

But the worst of all was what the last witness, a citizen of the Fire Nation, had said. Zuko knew him and the moment the man, Tur Shyuck, took the witness seat, he knew he was done for. The man was a known Ozai loyalist and had been extremely vocal about his dissent of Zuko. Tur Shyuck claimed that after the Agni Kai with Azula, Zuko and Katara had spent three days locked in his chamber.

It was the truth, but only partial one. Yes, they were in his chamber. Yes, it was locked. But that was because Katara had been afraid that Ozai's or Azula's followers might want to kill them. She had not dared to open the door till she got the news of their friends' safety. But most importantly, Zuko had been unconscious for the entire duration.

But who would believe him? Zuko could have been blue in the face, screaming himself hoarse that they hadn't even touched each other, but no one would have taken his word for it. Knowing a lost cause, Zuko had declined to ask him any questions. Tur Shyuck had struck and struck hard. And as a result, Katara's life was as good as forfeit.

"Fuck," Zuko swore. "I don't know if I made things worse by coming here."

"Zuko," the use of his name by Toph reinforced how serious the situation was. "You tried. These people are just… They knew what they wanted and they were armed to the teeth. You went in bare handed."

"That doesn't matter," Zuko roared, smoke curling from his fists. "I couldn't do a thing! All I did was to somewhat discredit the first witness, but the rest… It was like I was fighting against an unseen enemy."

"In a way, you are," Hakoda said. He sounded so tired. "You are fighting against centuries old prejudice. We have not been at peace long enough for people to forget their hate against the Fire Nation. That coupled with Katara's rebellion meant that the backlash had to come sooner or later."

"But what do we do now? I can't let my sister die." Sokka cried.

"Why is Katara not saying anything? Why is she silent?" Zuko asked.

Suki was the one who answered. "Maybe because she still thinks that she's going to be exiled. Perhaps she thinks that it's better to be exiled than stay here and fight."

"Agni! We have to tell her the truth!"

"Might be too late," Toph muttered. "We have company."

All five of them turned to look at the door where a man dressed in dark blue clothes stood with his hand raised to knock. Upon seeing their eyes on him, he gave a tight smile. "To witness the skills of the legendary Toph Beifong is an honor indeed."

"Who the heck are you?" Toph asked.

The man strode in and closed the door behind him. Instantly, all of them, including Zuko's two body guards, took up battle stance. In response, the man raised his arms in surrender. "I am a Waterbender, yes. But I am nowhere nearly skilled enough to take out legends. Or fight and live to tell the tale when I'm so hopelessly outnumbered. Please, I come in peace."

"A Northern Waterbender," Sokka scoffed. "Yes, we have been seeing your 'peace'."

The man lowered himself on to his knees and bowed down, pushing a small object forward, towards Zuko's feet. He straightened up, but continued to kneel on the floor. "Toph Beifong, I hear that you can tell if someone is lying. Read me and see if I lie when I say that I come in peace."

"He's not lying," Toph conceded grudgingly. Zuko bent down to pick up the object the man had slid towards him, without taking his eyes off him. Golden eyes flicked towards the circular thing in his palm and his eyes widened.

"What's your name?" he asked urgently.

"Turuk. A student of Master Pakku."

"Why do you have the Lotus Tile?"

"The White Lotus opens wide to all those who know its secrets."

Sokka collapsed on the floor with a sigh of relief. Suki dropped her stance and Toph's lips stretched to a smile. Zuko felt hope surge within him. "Stand up, Turuk. You are welcome here."

Turuk stood up and bowed. "It's an honor to meet the nephew of our Grand Master."

"Please tell us that you come here with some good news," Suki pleaded.

"I come with a message from the Grand Master Iroh. And I bring a solution."

The relief that surged through the room was palpable. Zuko held out a hand, "Give me the message."

Turuk shook his head. "Alas, Fire Lord, it is encrypted. Meant only for the eyes of the White Lotus Members. A necessary precaution, lest it got intercepted."

Zuko dismissed the pang of disappointment and nodded in understanding. "Okay, so what is the solution?"

"You might not like it," Turuk warned. "In fact, your Uncle specifically told me to ask you to remember your breathing exercises and keep in mind that sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good."

That definitely sounded like something Uncle would say, Zuko mused. "Just tell me."

Turuk took a deep breath and began speaking.

* * *

The 'solution' that Turuk had provided was extreme. And Zuko wasn't sure how he felt about it. In fact, he wasn't feeling a whole lot at that moment. Save for a buzzing in his ears and a gaping hole somewhere in his abdomen, he didn't feel much. But if there was one thing he had learned in his thirteen years of ruling the Fire Nation it was to maintain an expressionless visage and how to intimidate and make his point. He was no longer Zuko, Katara's friend. Now, he was the Fire Lord.

To ensure that he made the strongest impression, Zuko strode in at the last possible moment. Decked in complete Fire Lord regalia, with the crown on his head and the retinue of twelve Imperial Fire Benders trailing him. As he had expected, everyone in the hall turned to see him, but he held his own head up high and marched in to his designated seat. The Fire Benders lined the two sides of the Tribunal Hall, as the Fire Lord sat down, without once looking at the murmuring crowd behind him.

Every second felt insurmountably long as the five men of the tribunal took their seats. He noticed Hahn do a double take at the retinue and Zuko's formal attire. When Hahn announced for the accused to be brought in, Zuko felt like his voice floated to his ears from under water. The clanking of her chains made Zuko look up. For the first time he looked at Katara not as his friend but as someone who needed his protection, more than anyone had ever needed it.

She wasn't a damsel in distress, no. The Katara he knew would never be one. However, this person, the one sitting in front of him, was a shadow of her former self. Defeated and lost. Something had happened to her. Something that had taken the fight out of her and that's why she needed help. She had helped him, over and over again, when he had fallen. Now it was his turn to pick her up, dust off the grime, heal her wounds and get her back to her feet.

A part of him felt guilty that he was about to drop a bombshell and that he would be doing it without even talking to Katara once, but he ignored that part. As of now, he needed to focus on the Tribunal and get her out of here. All the uncomfortable feelings that would arise from what he was about to do would have to be dealt with later.

With great difficulty, Zuko tore his gaze from Katara, brushing aside the gnawing feeling of guilt and self- doubt. Years had only given him the ability to portray a confidence he didn't feel. Deep inside, he was still the unsure, second guessing teenager who had taken the throne. Every major decision he took, he found himself weighing the pros and cons, over and over again. This had worked both as an advantage and as a disadvantage for him. On the plus side, this habit of his enabled him to think through every possible scenario and all probable outcomes. On the flip side, however, it meant that making quick decisions weren't his strongest suit.

However, this was not the time to weigh options. As far as he could see, if he didn't play it just right, Katara could die. And that was not a valid option. Time to think was gone. It was time to act. He channeled the monarch within him and waited for the time to strike.

The Northern Water Tribe's chief was now reiterating the case thus far. Zuko leaned forward, focusing his attention on Hahn's words, waiting for the best possible moment to launch his attack.

As Hahn neared the end of his speech, Zuko felt a small flutter in his heart and he swallowed. He couldn't show a moment's weakness. He looked from Sokka's grim face to Hakoda's strangely hopeful one. While the former had reluctantly agreed to the plan, the latter had enthusiastically given his approval. Anything to save his daughter.

Finally, Hahn had finished speaking. He was making a show of going through some papers, whether to declare the verdict or to deliver a further blow to Katara's already tarnished reputation, Zuko didn't know. Nor did he have the desire to know. He stood up, cleared his throat to get the attention and spoke in his most regal voice. "Members of the Tribunal, before we proceed any further, I'm invoking my right to practice of 'Meiyo no Kaba'."

A murmur went through the crowd as the judges themselves looked astonished. Hahn's eyes narrowed slightly and he cast a quick look around, as if to figure out how the Fire Lord became aware of this particular loophole.

"Fire Lord," Hahn's voice had risen a few notches. "Do you understand what you are proposing?"

Zuko smirked. "I'm not in the habit of making demands I don't understand, _Chief_ Hahn."

Translated into common language, 'Meiyo no Kaba' meant to provide the 'Cover of Honor'. It was an old tradition of the Northern Water Tribe where a man who was responsible for tarnishing a woman's honor could invoke the right to provide her 'Meiyo no Kaba'. Once invoked, neither party could be punished of the crime they were accused of.

"You're the sovereign of the Fire Nation..." Another began, his dark face twisted into an ugly expression.

Zuko looked at the man, his expression lethal.

Upon spotting his expression, one of the members of the Tribunal leaned forward, addressing his peers. "We have to honor his request."

Hahn began to protest but the older man pressed on. "Think about the repercussions of denying him. If the Tribunal fails to honor the request of a Sovereign of a Nation, think of the message we will send out to the common citizens."

Zuko knew he had won. Hahn's eyes twitched slightly and he opened his mouth to say something when the judge sitting next to him held his hand. The Chief drew in a deep breath and looked at Zuko. "Just so I know that you truly understand what you are offering, Fire Lord, do explain what it means to provide Katara with 'Meiyo no Kaba'."

Zuko took a deep breath, looked at Katara, who finally looked at the proceedings with confusion and interest. He hoped he conveyed his apologies with his eyes as he spoke his next words. "I'm proposing a marriage to Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

* * *

 _So yeah, I'm sorta doing a spin on arranged marriages. I wanted to explore a scenario where they're married to each other not because it was set up for political requirements but because one is protecting the other._

 _Dropbox: Ding! Ding! Ding! You were right!_

 _Reality Rejection Service: Tonraq is from the same generation as Bumi, Kya and Tenzin. So as of now, he's too young to have any impact on the story. As to where Hakoda got the scrolls and what exactly is going on here, it will all be revealed slowly._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Reality Rejection Service: All I shall say is, the action will come soon, although not from where you're expecting it to come from. Let's just say I still have a few surprises left up my sleeve. As for the Avatar, it's unimportant, because the next Avatar will not be featured in the story. But if you must know, I would say that since it's a post war AU, there's probably a different Avatar. Whatever you need to know about this universe will gradually be revealed._

 _As usual, please R &R_

* * *

"No!"

That was the first word Zuko had heard from Katara's lips. Thankfully, she had been too shocked to protest at the Tribunal which had dismissed quickly after his bold proclamation. As per tradition, once Meiyo no Kaba was invoked, the woman could reject the proposal. However, over the years, that right had been taken away from the women. Zuko could only imagine the number of times a man might have misused it or lovers used it to get their opposing parents.

As far as he knew, this was the first time this archaic tradition had been invoked in a case of adultery. The Tribunal had been completely blindsided by Zuko's ploy and gave their approval for the marriage, putting in the clause that the wedding should take place within twenty four hours and that they should leave immediately afterwards. Then Tribunal had then been dismissed in a matter of minutes.

It was now, in the guest house where Zuko was staying, that Katara finally spoke. She clutched Bumi and Kya to her chest with a tight grip that belied her fragile countenance. "No," she said again. "I'm not marrying again."

Sokka put an arm around his sister. Zuko wondered if he was the only one in the room who noticed the slight flinch from Katara at the action. "Sis, we don't have any other option. I know you still love Aang, and you are not ready to give his place to someone else. And we are not asking you to do that either. All we are saying is, this is the need of the hour."

The response was a resolute refusal in one single word. "No."

"Sugar Queen," Toph said with her usual brusqueness. "You need to understand…"

Katara's eyes flashed dangerously as she tightened her grasp on her children. "No Toph! You need to understand that I'm done. I have had enough. I'm not marrying again and that's that."

Suki tried for a gentler approach, putting a hand on Katara's shoulder. Yet again, Zuko noticed her flinch. "Katara, think of the children. You can't stay here in the North and the only way they will let you leave is when you marry Zuko."

"I'm not marrying again. Period."

Zuko sighed, feeling exhausted. He looked at Sokka who had his arm around his sister, and said, "Sokka, can you give me five minutes with Katara, alone?"

Nodding, Sokka pried Bumi and Kya out of Katara's grasp. Not an easy task, but he assured her that they would be back to her in five minutes. Reluctantly, Katara let them go, her big blue eyes trailing them as they stepped out of the room.

Alone, Zuko crouched in front of her, careful not to touch her. "Katara, I know this is not the ideal situation, and I am sorry for doing things this way. Believe me, if there was any other way, I would have done it."

"You could have let me lose the case," she said, not looking at him. "I'd be exiled from Water Tribe, and I would've been fine with it."

"But you wouldn't have been exiled, Katara. They would've sentenced you to death, that's what Toph was trying to tell you."

For the first time, she met his eyes and in there he saw a glimmer of the Katara he knew. "What?"

"Yes. Why do you think I resorted to something so extreme?" Zuko shook his head, every inch of his body aching. "The Northern Water Tribe never got over the fact that you are the best Waterbender of this generation. A woman and from the South. Too big a blow for their fragile egos. They would've killed you to make an example. This was the only way I could get you out of their grasp."

"They'd have let Bumi and Kya become orphans?"

"Yes," Zuko agreed. If her children were her focal point, then he would talk to her using them. Any way to get her out of here because Zuko knew, the danger wasn't gone yet. It still lurked and would continue to lurk till she was safely out of here. "These men are still baying for your blood. Please, trust me to get you and the kids out of North Pole safely. Once I get you and the kids to Fire Nation soil, safe and sound, you're free to do whatever you want. If you want to annul the marriage, I will do so. But for now, please, for your kids' sake, just play along."

He must have appealed to some sense in her, for she nodded. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

* * *

The ceremony was ridiculously short. Dressed in traditional Watertribe garb, Zuko was led to the Spirit Oasis, where he was sprinkled with some of the Spirit Oasis water. The priest intoned something in an ancient language that Zuko didn't understand but thankfully, he wasn't asked to repeat.

Once the incantations were finished, Katara was brought in. She too was dressed in an elaborate white and blue Watertribe dress with a gauzy material over her face acting as a veil. Waterbending had wrought some major changes in her appearance, such that her wrists were no longer chaffed and her hair was not matted. But she still retained the gaunt look that she had acquired in the prison. Katara sat to his left, without meeting his eyes.

The priest sprinkled some of the Spirit Oasis water on her and resumed his incomprehensible incantations. After a while, the priest handed a blue silk ribbon, a stand-in for a betrothal necklace, to tie around Katara's neck.

"Carve a pedant and put it on the ribbon later," the priest said, answering his unasked question.

Taking utmost care, so as to not touch her in any way, Zuko put the ribbon around her neck. He thought he heard Katara release a sigh of relief. For a moment, he was transported back in time, with him holding a different necklace, her tied to a tree and him almost putting it on her neck. He banished the image. Now was not the time for nostalgia.

The priest asked the two to hold hands. Zuko noticed the tremble in Katara's hands as she held his in a feather light grasp. He too tried to keep his grasp as light as possible. The priest pulled a strand of water from the Oasis and wound it around their hands in a spiral, continuing to mutter an incantation.

Both of them were asked to repeat a few words, none of which Zuko understood and then he was informed that they were married. Zuko was flabbergasted. Fire Nation weddings were a long and tedious process. He was surprised to know that a wedding could be accomplished in less than half an hour.

The priest then pulled off the water and dropped it back to the Oasis. To everyone's surprise, the water glowed blue for a moment before returning to its normal, colorless state. The few people who were present began chanting something while Zuko looked around, confused.

The priest smiled, "By Tui and La! This is a rare occurrence! This union has been blessed by the Spirits. This is meant to last for several lifetimes. We have been blessed to witness such a union."

Zuko felt Katara's eyes on him and he turned to find his disbelief and incredulity mirrored in them. Without a word, she stood up and bowed to the priest. Zuko silently mimicked her action.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, a soldier was hefting Katara's bags onto to Zuko's warplane. Katara was saying her goodbyes to her family, her face molded into an expressionless mask. It was only when her grandmother whispered something into her ears that the mask slipped and Katara looked shocked. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes holding a question he couldn't read. Not finding the answer they were searching for, blue eyes dipped down and looked away.

"Are you my new dad?" a tiny voice drew his attention away from the woman who was now his wife, to find a little girl looking up at him with wide blue eyes.

Zuko knelt down on the snow and smiled at her. "Yes, little princess. Your name is Kya, right?"

The little girl nodded, her black ponytail bobbing up and down with the motion. "And you are Zuko?"

He held out a hand as he said, "Yes. Pleased to meet you."

She took his hand, her tiny palm disappearing into his larger one as she shook it. "What happened to your eye?"

"Kya!" Katara's voice sounded aghast. Unknown to him, she had walked closer. "You don't ask people that!"

"It's alright, Katara," Zuko said with a smile. He had long since made peace with his scar, it no longer bothered him. "It was a long time ago, Kya. When I was a little older than Bumi, a bad man hurt me."

The little girl winced. "That must be so paining?"

"Painful," he corrected gently. "And yes, it was."

"Does it pain now?"

Zuko shook his head. Then to his utmost surprise, Kya leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his scar. At that moment the little girl stole his heart. He smiled widely and said, "Why, it's all better now!"

Kya giggled and ran to hide behind her mother. He looked up to find Katara smiling at him. He straightened up and was about to speak when he felt another pair of eyes on him. Turning around he found Bumi looking at him. Never before had Zuko seen such animosity in the eyes of someone so young.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello there!_

 _I must say I am overwhelmed by the number of likes and follows this story is getting. The reviews are also encouraging. Originally, I had planned this story to be a shorter one, maybe 10 chapters or so, but the story is taking on a life of its own. Things are getting more complex. Yes, the scene has shifted to Fire Nation for now, but we will find out more about what had happened back at Northern Water Tribe and why. Also, more of Katara's past will be revealed. Up until now, we have seen the story from Zuko's perspective, but in the next chapter, we will see Katara's perspective and get some information on what happened to Katara._

 _To the person who left the guest review: Thank you. Yes, I wanted to explore the sexism prevalent in the North and the result of it. The dirty face of the Northern Water Tribe will be further revealed as the fic progresses._

 _As usual, R &R. Your reviews make me a happy panda. _

* * *

Zuko faltered slightly, swallowing the lump of nervousness in his throat. Shaking his head, he squared his shoulders and walked in, careful not to slosh the goblets of liquid in his hands.

The journey back to Fire Nation had been uneventful. Katara and the kids had mostly stuck to the cabin. Allowing them full access to the bed, Zuko made himself comfortable on the floor. Kya had continued to be fascinated by Zuko, trying to spend as much time as she could with him. Whenever she could, she would clamber on his lap and Zuko was more than happy to oblige. Kya chattered nonstop and Zuko was completely enraptured by the innocence of the little girl.

He had tried to talk to Bumi several times, but the boy stubbornly refused to acknowledge his presence, except to throw him an occasional, mutinous glare. In fact, Bumi reminded him strongly of himself during his exile, something that endeared the boy to him. It also made Zuko wonder where Iroh found the endless patience to deal with him.

When it came to Katara, however, Zuko had no idea what to say to her. So he chose to not say anything. She too appeared to be equally clueless and seemed more than happy to follow his cue. Which was fine while they were in the warplane but now, within the confines of his palace, he couldn't keep silent. This was, technically, their first night together as a married couple and Zuko wasn't sure what to say or do. He hoped that the wine he carried would help him tide through the initial awkwardness.

Walking into the chamber, he found Katara sitting on the bed. She wore a simple red tunic, her hair done up in a bun. His staff had been unsure of how to treat Katara. Not that he blamed them. He himself didn't know how to treat her. So, he had instructed them to show her to a guest chamber, provide her with some clothes suitable for the climate and anything else that she might need, but otherwise leave her alone.

Till he had spoken to her, he was not going to tell anyone exactly who she was or why she was with him. As of now, her identity would be Katara, Master Waterbender and Avatar's widow. Or so he had thought. Unfortunately, news of their rushed wedding had already reached the Fire Nation and his staff already knew that she was the new Fire Lady. Which made things even more complex. Zuko had spent an hour with Iroh, trying to figure out what to do from here, but the discussion had resulted in giving him a headache. Ultimately, it all hinged on his conversation with Katara.

And so he was here, holding glasses of wine, looking at the woman who sat hunched on the bed, staring at something only she could see. She had not heard or seen him. Zuko cleared his throat to announce his presence and it worked. Katara looked up, startled.

"Hi," he said, giving her his best smile. "Wine?"

Without a word, she accepted the proffered glass but didn't drink from it. Zuko pointed to the foot of the bed and said, "May I?"

Katara nodded, pulling her feet further inwards. Her gaze was fixed on the glass of wine she had in her hand. After a while Zuko sighed, "I haven't poisoned it, you know."

She looked taken aback for a moment before blushing. "No, no. I..."

When she couldn't continue, Zuko nodded. "It's okay. I get it. I was like that after Mai."

Katara looked up, surprised. "Really?"

He nodded again. "Really. I couldn't trust anyone. Even after the tasters had tasted everything, I personally tasted all of Izumi's food before giving it to her. And let me tell you, baby food tastes horrible."

Katara snickered, the first laugh he had heard from her in all this while and Zuko felt a stab of pride at finally making her laugh. "How are you feeling, Katara?"

She shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. So much has happened, I don't know what to think."

"I hear you," Zuko said, sipping on his wine. "I'm totally confounded about what to do now. I feel like a teenager again."

The two of them lapsed into companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Surprisingly, it was Katara who broke the silence.

"Thank you Zuko."

"For what? Binding you to a marriage that neither of us wanted?"

She shook her head. "No. For saving my life. Suki explained to me how they methodically lied and cut off everything from me. They would have let me die to satisfy their egos, without a thought about what happened to Bumi and Kya. If not for you, my kids would've been left orphaned. And for that, I can't thank you enough."

Zuko shook his head. "It really was the White Lotus. Left alone, I couldn't have done much of anything."

"Regardless," Katara said, curling further into herself. "You were the one who had to marry me, not the White Lotus."

Zuko smiled. "Well, things are not as bad. One of the greatest thing about Fire Nation is, we can annul a marriage, so long as it's not... err... consummated."

The shudder that went through Katara's body at that sentence didn't escape Zuko's notice, but he pretended not to see it. "If you want, I will talk to the Fire Sages tomorrow morning and see what must be done to annul the marriage."

Katara took a deep breath. "Zuko, I have been thinking about it... and... I... I don't think we need to annul it just yet."

The wine he had been sipping went up his nose. After recovering from a bout of coughing, he stared at her. "What? You want to stay married?"

Katara sighed. "I've seen you with Kya, Zuko. She's really attached to you. She's lost Aang at a really young age, I don't want her to lose another person so soon. Both her and Bumi, they need a father figure in their lives, and... I was thinking... You could be it. Only if you want to, that is." She added hastily.

Zuko looked at her both surprised and pleased. He couldn't deny that he had really grown fond of the two kids, especially Kya. She had made a place in his heart in ways that only little children could, and he hadn't been looking forward to saying goodbye to her. "I'd do it, but on one condition."

Katara raised her eyebrows in a silent question.

"Izumi has never known a mother. Will you be her mother?"

Katara's smile was dazzling. "I'd be happy to."

"That's settled then," Zuko said, relieved. "I will talk to the Fire Sages tomorrow morning and see where to go from here on. There will probably be a formal ceremony and..."

Katara's voice stopped him midway. "But... What about... You know... Us?"

Zuko sighed, rubbing a tired hand on his face. "Katara, this is for the kids. Nothing changes between us. We are friends and we shall remain so. Married only in the eyes of the public. What happens behind closed doors is nobody else's business."

The relief on her face was palpable. "Thanks again Zuko."

"Never mind. Sleep now. You'll likely be inundated tomorrow. Good night!"

She repeated the words and drank her wine in one swig. With one final wave at her, Zuko left the chamber, feeling a huge weight lift off his shoulders.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, the news of his sudden marriage had not gone over well with the courtiers. The noble men had, over the past eight years, badgered him relentlessly to get married. One after another, 'eligible' Fire Nation girls had been paraded in front of him. But Zuko had remained adamant in his refusal.

In fact, on one occasion, a tall eleven year old had been dressed up as a much older woman and brought to him. For the fist time in his adult life, Zuko had lost his temper in public. Iroh had had to intervene before the Fire Lord reduced the parents of the said girl to cinders.

But now that he had presented them with a new Fire Lady, none of them had seemed pleased. When he had taken the mantle of the Fire Lord, Zuko had sworn to himself that he wouldn't be a Fire Lord like Ozai. He had given his courtiers the liberty to speak their minds. For the first time in thirteen years, though, he was regretting giving the said liberty.

The courtiers had, in no uncertain terms, informed him that he had made a mistake. They couldn't understand why he had to choose a twenty-eight year old widow with two children to sit on the throne when he had a plethora of young, dutiful, Fire Nation nobility and most importantly 'virgin' brides to choose from.

Zuko had patiently heard their views and then explained in a tone that he knew wouldn't brook further arguments, that while the position of the Fire Lady was indeed a public one, the choice of his wife was his and his alone.

That done, he spent the afternoon with the Fire Sages, trying to figure out what needed to be done from here on. After what seemed like an unnecessarily lengthy meeting, Zuko headed to what he knew would be the toughest meeting of all. Izumi.

She had been the first person he had tried to meet but the girl had refused to meet with him and that hurt Zuko more than he cared to admit.

If anyone truly had a right to be upset with him, it was her. And if he knew his daughter, which Zuko was proud to say that he did, Izumi was proud and stubborn. She wouldn't accept Katara so easily.

When Zuko strode into Izumi's cabin, the princess was sitting on her writing desk, diligently working on something. He knew she had heard him for as a warrior, her instincts were impeccable. She pretended to not hear him because she was mad. He waved off her tutor who left with a deep but hasty bow. The princess remained seated, her face resolutely turned away.

"Izumi," Zuko called out, tentatively.

"Go away," she said in a cold, measured tone that was highly reminiscent of Azula.

"Princess, we need to talk, right?"

"I have nothing to say to you."

Zuko sighed and walked up to her. The girl continued to keep her back to him. Pulling up a chair next to her, Zuko sat down.

"Won't you even look at Daddy?"

"No."

"Izumi, princess, I'm sorry," he said, gently reaching out for her hand. She snatched her little hand away.

"Talk to me sweetheart."

"Did you talk to me before bringing them in?" She snapped, uttering the 'them' with unmatched contempt.

"I had to, Izumi," Zuko said. "I had no choice."

The girl spun to face him, her golden eyes flashing. "There's always a choice. You keep telling me that."

Zuko sighed once again, wondering how children could turn your own words back at you.

"Sometimes, grown ups like to tell children things that they themselves would like to believe. But life has a way of showing us that we're wrong. Guess I was wrong when I said that."

Izumi pursed her lips, as if considering his words.

"She's never going to be my mother," she said finally.

"Izumi..."

"No!" She screamed, tears beginning to pool into her eyes. "My mother's name is Mai and she's dead. No one else can be my mother. No one!"

Without waiting for Zuko's response, Izumi shot out of the room and ran away. Sitting alone, Zuko's shoulders slumped.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Things have gotten a little slow in the story. As of now I am exploring the psyche of both Zuko and Katara. Very soon though, things will get crazy again._

 _A guest reviewer has told me that my chapters are a little short. To that reviewer: I prefer to keep my chapters shorter. I don't enjoy writing long, rambling chapters, unless absolutely required._

* * *

Katara opened her eyes, groggily rubbing sleep from them. She blinked a few times to adjust to the change in light.

"Greetings Fire Lady," a crisp, matronly voice sounded close by.

With a yelp, Katara shot up on the bed. To her utter horror, she found five women surrounding her bed, looking at her expectantly. With a muffled yell, Katara jumped from the bed, her heart palpitating. Her wild, frantic eyes darted from one end to the other, eying the five women with open hostility. But then, two pairs of hands grabbed her from behind, one of which was tugging at the knot of her tunic while another was pulling out her hair. Blind, numbing panic rose within her chest and with a loud yell, Katara commanded the water from the three flower vases in the room into a whip and lashed it at her assailants.

The hands groping her let go and in that moment, Katara ran. Tears streamed down her face, drenched in cold sweat and overtaken by unspeakable terror, she ran. She didn't notice the strange looks she got from the guards as she ran down the corridor. Blind to all but the horror, agony and pain residing within her, Katara ran, her mind screaming.

She ran as her lungs burned and every breath seemed to be on fire. Her mind's uncontrolled tumble downhill was abruptly brought to a halt when she ran into something solid, making her topple over. Physical pain from the fall brought her mind's wanderings to a halt and Katara looked up. She was both surprised and glad to see Zuko looking down at her with concern.

"Katara! What's going on? What happened?"

When she didn't respond, he held out a hand offering her help to get up. It would have been so easy to hold out her hand and use it to get up. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she pushed herself off the floor and dusted her tunic, ignoring the trembling in her heart. She saw the slight frown on Zuko's face as he withdrew his hand, but it was gone quickly. She had barely caught her breath when two of the women who had been in her chamber joined them, panting. Instinctively, Katara hid

"My Lord," the older woman bowed deeply, trying and failing to keep her annoyance from showing.

"What is going on? What's all this commotion about?" Zuko asked.

Still trembling, Katara was unable to reply. The woman gave a short bow and said, "If I may, milord."

At Zuko's nod, she continued. "We were at the Fire Lady's chamber, getting her prepared for the day but she attacked us."

Zuko looked from her stricken face to the maid's annoyed one. Katara could see understanding dawn on his face. "You tried to get her prepared for a bath, I presume?"

"Yes Milord. Lord Iroh had instructed us to aid the Lady and we were only following orders, Sire."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed in deeply. "I see. Mari, you and your subordinates are not to touch Lady Katara without her express permission. She comes from a different country, a different culture. She is unused to such attention."

If Mari was annoyed or upset by the instruction, she didn't show it. She bowed and excused herself from them. Alone, she turned to look at Zuko, acutely aware of how her hair was plastered to her face. A part of her was embarrassed at her overreaction and yet another was still coming to terms with the fear that had overcome her. She fully expected him to berate her for being so problematic on the very first day, but was taken aback at his next words.

"Are you alright?"

Katara licked her lips and nodded. "I'm sorry Zuko, I overreacted."

"No, no! I apologize," he said, looking regretful. "I know what happens here and I know you don't like to be touched. I should have foreseen this."

Katara was nonplussed. "How… how… how did you know?"

"You flinch every time someone touches you," he elaborated. "I didn't notice it at the Tribunal, but later, when Sokka touched you… I saw it. I have seen the pattern since then."

Katara didn't know what to say, so she lowered her eyes, Gran Gran's parting words echoing in her mind.

"I'm sorry Katara," Zuko continued. "Your very first day here gave you such a nasty surprise."

Katara shook her head. "No, Zuko. Please, don't apologize. Not your fault. I… I just… Never mind. You are meeting the Fire Sages today, right?"

Zuko nodded. "Depending upon how things go, you will have people instructing you on Fire Nation etiquettes, rituals, wedding plans and dress trials. It's going to be exhausting to say the least. Just wanted you to know."

Katara nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate that. Have you spoken to Izumi yet?"

Zuko shook his head remorsefully. "She's refused to see me so far. I hope to be able to talk to her today. What about you, any luck with Bumi?"

"No. I haven't had the chance to talk to him yet."

With that, Katara suddenly realized that she had nothing else to say. Apparently Zuko too had run out of words to speak and began to fidget uncomfortably.

"I've wasted enough of your time," Katara said. "You have a busy day ahead. I will take your leave."

The Fire Lord and Lady bowed to each other and walked to the opposite directions.

* * *

The next five days were a flurry of activities that had Katara busy from the moment she opened her eyes to the time she closed them. After Zuko had expressly told them to ask her permission before touching, Katara was much more at ease and did not have any panic attacks. She had refused assistance during bathing and wouldn't allow anyone to come anywhere near her till she had at least put on a shift. Although, Mari did seem a little put off by her reaction, but the woman was professional enough to let it slide.

She barely found time to meet her children, but she made sure that she did. Kya and Bumi were the most important things in her life and she did all in her power to ensure that they were safe and happy.

She noticed that Zuko made it a point to meet all three of them, every day, no matter how tired he was. The ease with which Kya had taken to Zuko surprised Katara. Before her marriage, Kya used to ask her about her daddy, but ever since Zuko came in, the little girl had not asked about Aang, ever. Not that Katara could blame her. Kya was barely three when Aang had died. Even when he was alive, his Avatar duties kept him away for extended periods of time and Kya hardly ever saw him. She probably had very vague memories of her real father, if any.

Zuko, on the other hand, paid complete attention to everything she had to say. In him, she had found a rapt audience and Kya was thrilled. Even when she babbled about nonsensical stuff, he would give her his undivided attention. And for that reason alone, Zuko had quickly become one of her favorite persons in the world.

Bumi on the other hand, refused to even acknowledge Zuko. When Katara had tried to tell him that Zuko was now his father, the boy had somewhat bitterly told her, "He maybe your husband, but he's not my father."

While he had not been openly hostile to Zuko thus far, he had not been overly polite either. Every time the latter had approached, Bumi had bottled up and refused to even speak a word, or even look at him for that matter. His arms would be folded, lips thinned and his eyes would be lowered. Katara had to give credit to Zuko for not losing his patience. The younger him would have exploded, but this older man patiently bore with the mistreatment.

"How do you do it?" Katara had asked once. "You have infinite patience with Bumi and Kya. How?"

Zuko had shrugged. "They're kids. Patience is exactly what they need. With Kya it's easy. As for Bumi, he's reacting exactly how I would have reacted if I was in his shoes, and at his age. He's gone through a lot of changes in his young life, give him time to adjust."

Just like him, Katara hadn't made much headway with Izumi either. In fact, the Fire Nation Princess had refused to even meet her. Six days in the Fire Nation, and she was yet to meet the girl. She had in fact seen her only once, while she practiced her katas. But when she had tried to approach, Izumi had thrown her a look of pure contempt and run away before she could even say hello.

That day, Katara was seated with the wedding planner who was explaining, in rather excruciating detail, the importance of proper seating when Zuko knocked on the door. Since he usually came to visit her before retiring for the night, seeing him there, at that moment made Katara uncomfortable. She refused to give in to the panic clawing at her heart and stood up to bow to him, as she was taught. Being the future Fire Lady, she was almost an equal. Almost.

She wasn't as yet married to him, as per Fire Nation's laws and therefore, as his betrothed, she was currently half a rank lower than him. Which meant, she would have to bow to him. Not too low, but not too stiff either. A lowering of her head and slight bending of her knees was enough. The wedding planner though, had to bow low, bending from his waist. With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed the wedding planner and walked into her chamber. Upon seeing him up close, Katara realized that his eyes were guarded and didn't hold their usual gleam.

"Katara," he said, distinctly uncomfortable. "May I encroach upon your time for a bit?"

She swallowed, trying to dislodge the cold, empty feeling in her throat. "Are Bumi and Kya alright?"

"What? Yeah, yeah, they're fine. They're with their tutors. No, this is about something else. I was hoping you'd meet someone."

Knowing that her children were fine, Katara heaved a deep sigh of relief. Then she felt a surge of hope, "Izumi?"

Zuko shook his head. "She's still adamant about not meeting you. It's not Izumi," he rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "I was talking about Azula."

"Oh!" Katara had no idea what to say to that. She had not met the Fire Nation Princess after the war. Katara had witnessed Azula's descent into madness herself. After the war, she had been taken away to a secluded place where she was no longer a threat to herself and to the people around her. Katara had known that over the years Zuko had visited her regularly, but she had no idea how the Princess was now or where she was, for that matter. Somehow, amid all the hustle-bustle, Katara had completely forgotten about her.

"Where is she?" Katara asked finally.

"Here, in the Palace."

Katara's eyes widened. "In the Palace? I didn't know."

"Yeah," he sighed. "You have been busy. I have told her about… us. I figured now that you both are… sisters… in a way… you should meet. Will you?"

"Yes Zuko, of course. Take me there."

His relief was palpable. "Thank you. Come on."

The two of them walked down a corridor in silence. Katara tried to remember her way, but the Palace was too big and she quickly lost track of where she was going. She briefly wondered how Zuko kept track of where what was, but then remembered that this was the place he had grown up in. Shortly afterward, they were in front of a chamber with ornate doors. "This is the family wing," Zuko said, breaking the silence. "Every member of the Royal family lives here. You and the children would be moved in here as well after… you know."

Katara nodded, not saying anything. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. After a while a voice asked them to enter. Katara didn't know what she was expecting, but it was certainly not what she was seeing. Azula was sitting on the window ledge, her long, silky hair billowing gently around her. Garbed in a simple red silk dress with thin straps and her face completely devoid of makeup, she looked ethereal in her understated beauty. There was a serenity about her that was surprising and Katara had a tough time reconciling this woman with the aggressive, warrior Princess she had once known.

"Azula, Katara is here."

The woman tore her eyes from whatever she had been looking at and turned towards her. With one smooth action, she slid off the ledge and moved towards them. She appeared to have lost none of her grace and litheness.

"Katara," she said in a flat, emotionless voice.

"Azula," she returned in an equally neutral voice.

"I heard my brother saved you from certain death, yet again."

Instantly, Katara felt a heat rise in her cheeks.

"Azula," Zuko's reprimand sounded more tired than anything else. "Not nice."

She shrugged, "Whatever. Being 'nice' was never really a priority for me."

"You and Katara are going to be sisters now," Zuko persisted. "The least you can do is be civil, right?"

"I didn't know it was uncivil to state the truth," Azula snapped.

"Zuko," Katara stopped him before he could argue. "It's okay. It is true, after all. You did save my life again. I owe you, twice as much now."

Azula looked at Zuko, as if to say, 'see?' "Well," she said with a world weary sigh. "Welcome to the family, Katara. Be careful though, we are a basketful of crazies."

Katara didn't know what to say to her but apparently nothing was needed for Azula continued. "One of us is a tea loving old man prone to give lectures, another was bitten by the 'honor' bug at a very young age and has been scratching that itch ever since, Izumi is fine, if a little stubborn but that's in her blood. And then there's me, the official, certified basket case. I'm sure you'll fit right in."

Not entirely sure of what to say, Katara looked at Zuko who had a palm over face and was shaking his head slowly.

"Let me know if you need any help in understanding Fire Nation's formalities," Azula plowed on, ignoring the discomfort of the other occupants of the room. "Not that I will be of much help, but I can at least divert your mind from the inane babble of your tutors."

With that, Azula seemed to have lost all interest in the conversation and stalked away to sit on the window ledge again. Zuko shot her and apologetic glance and led her out of the chamber. She gave a parting glance at Azula who was back to staring out of the window and ignoring them, before following the Fire Lord out.


End file.
